16/01/20Go green with eco-friendly glasses & sustainable eyecare
Sustainability is a top priority and many of our eyewear brands are committing to save the planet. Here is a snapshot of a selection of frame, contact lens & spectacle lens manufacturers who are taking the pledge to make small changes which aim to save resources & use as little as possible. We are making eco-friendly changes in store to give our customers greener options when it comes to their eyewear, meaning that you can protect your eyes and protect the earth. Many of our brands have taken huge strides for their efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle and we’re here to help you make the eco-friendly choice.
Neubau Eyewear
It is no longer the case that you must sacrifice style for sustainability. Austrian brand Neubau Eyewear have broken the mould by making eco-friendly frames and have a socially conscious mission.
Their eco-friendly glasses frames are made from naturalPX, a specially developed polymer which is manufactured using organically sourced and renewable primary products. 65% of this material is based on oil extracted from the seeds of castor oil plants giving their products a natural base. This unique material gives Neubau the edge in producing frames which are lightweight, sturdy AND eco. It’s a win win for the planet and for the wearer.
The eco-friendly commitment from Neubau extends right through their business to packaging, printing and in-store materials too. The cases are made from a cellulose base and uses no glue, making them easily recyclable; their cleaning cloths are made from recycled plastic bottles and they are packed in recycled paper. Even their marketing materials are produced with environmentally friendly resources and minimal waste. In a final bid to be more socially conscious, they also support non-profit projects revitalizing nature in urban environments.
Zeiss Vision Care
We have been fans of Zeiss for their top quality spectacle lenses for a long time, so when they announced they were going green, it was fantastic news. In 2018, Zeiss vision care committed to championing sustainable eye care & manufacturing and have achieved huge savings in natural resources. Since 2018 they have:
- Saved 260 tons of plastic by removing plastic lens cup protectors
- Saved 68 tons of paper annually by reducing packaging
- Used 2.1 tons less printing dye since 2018
- Saved 292 tons of water by streamlining cooling & cleaning processes
- Halved the amount of plastic used in every lens.
The use of plastics remains a challenge for the environmentally conscious production of plastic lenses. Semi-finished lenses used to be comparatively thick, which meant more monomers were needed. ZEISS’ have redesigned their semi-finished lenses to make them much thinner and lighter, significantly reducing the amount of plastic required for each lens. This complex change in production has been implemented without any disruption to customers. Only made possible with thanks to a team of experts, including optical designers, technology & manufacturing specialists, IT & logistics personnel.
With their “Green, Safe, Responsible,” message, ZEISS Vision Care is successfully demonstrating a corporate commitment to responsible consumption.
Acuvue Contact Lens Recycling
Contact lenses and contact lens packaging contribute to a huge amount of waste. A staggering, 750 million contact lenses get flushed down the sink or put into landfill in the UK each year. In response to this shocking fact, Acuvue set out on a mission to address the problem.
Many people think recycling contact lenses isn’t possible but Acuvue say “Yes You Can!”. Last year they announced a new recycling scheme for their contact lenses in partnership with global recycling specialists, Terracycle. We swiftly adopted this in store. All you need to do is collect your old contact lenses, plastic blister packs and foil tops and bring them in to us. Even if your contact lenses are not the Acuvue brand, you can still recycle them using the Acuvue programme.
These small but mighty changes all help us achieve a greener future. Whether it’s eyewear or eyecare products, sustainable solutions have arrived and we are pleased to champion their great green credentials. Next time you choose a new frame or pick up your contact lenses, think about your eco-options!